Walking
Health by Design champions making Indiana communities accessible, inviting, and safe for people walking and using mobility devices.
Health by Design has long prioritized efforts to improve walkability and to get more people walking. Over the past several years, much of that work has focused on issues of pedestrian safety in Indianapolis, as a result of local funding commitments and related grant awards.
Through a partnership between Health by Design, the City of Indianapolis and the Marion County Public Health Department, pedestrian crash data has been complied, reviewed, and analyzed to better understand where, why, and how they are occurring. Sixteen high crash zones have been identified, and a mix of countermeasures have been deployed to address infrastructure needs, engage community partners, and provide outreach and education. This project also uses emergency response records and hospital trauma registry data to further understanding of the issues. More information on the project’s findings will be available soon.
In 2015, Health by Design was awarded a Plan4Health grant from the American Planning Association, which led to Indy WalkWays, a branded initiative that included development and adoption of Indianapolis’ first pedestrian plan and safety action plan [link], efforts to establish a comprehensive pedestrian program for Marion County, and promotional activities to get more people walking. The organization convened a pedestrian advisory group through 2018, which is now integrated with the city’s Complete Streets Advisory Group.
RTC serves as the national voice for more than 160,000 members and supporters, 31,000 miles of rail-trails and multi-use trails, and more than 8,000 miles of potential trails waiting to be built, with a goal of creating more walkable, bikeable communities in America.
